Broken Concentration
by smiles1777
Summary: Itachi observes Hinata accidentally and starts to ponder on the girl. Itachi/Hinata, very slight and rather random.


Well...It's Itachi/Hinata again. Fun!

* * *

**- Broken Concentration -**

He was not one to be easily distracted. At all. He was always aware of his surroundings, but he did it in such a calm and almost effortless way that it never advanced further than a mere flicker of his eyes, or turn of his head. His mediation and relaxation time was never disturbed, even if his partner decided it was time for a one-sided chat (again).

However, when something more interesting than his thoughts came stumbling into the path below the tree branch he currently sat on, he did not see the harm in observing, if only for a little while.

It took him less than ten seconds to summarize her origins and another twenty to fully understand her character. Age, sixteen; village, Konoha; rank, chuunin; clan, Hyuuga; special skills, byakugan. From her stance, she was timid, plagued with self-doubt, humble. From her hands he could tell she trained hard, she fought, she survived by the tips of her fingernails.

He couldn't help the smile that graced his lips when she brought her hands to her face flushed red from exertion and let out of long, exasperated sigh. He wondered briefly if he should come down off his branch to engage her in conversation or a fight to the death. He decided to stay where he was; he had no desire to form any more alliances and he'd rather not harm a girl who he had no business meeting. Perhaps when she grew stronger, she'd get her chance at him. He did not pick on the weak.

She sighed again, set her form in a running stance, and was off into the forest yet again.

He tilted his head slightly and pondered briefly what a porcelain doll was doing in a world of wolves.

* * *

It became a habit at the end of his meditations to ponder on the porcelain princess. He was surprised at how curious he was about her. Why did she sigh? Would her cheeks flush just with exercise, or would she blush prettily at a compliment? She was main branch, he knew from the lack of the cursed seal (clans were such a destructive thing sometimes). Was she the princess of the clan? Burdened, like him? Did she bask in the glow of her clan's praise or was she continually shunned like he had witnessed too many times to count. He secretly hoped she was weak, that there were people there to protect her. It was a terrible fate to be strong, an even worse fate to be stronger than you're supposed to be.

And sometimes, when he was all alone with his thoughts, he forgot about his clan, about his duties, about his village, the Akatsuki, forgot everything he did and the old Itachi was revived. The one he buried so long ago. And he – the old him – would wonder if this Hyuuga girl would have been his friend. Perhaps they would have played together, to strengthen clan ties. Maybe he would have taken her hand and lead her to some pretty field of flowers (she seemed that type of girl to just twirl in a field of flowers). Maybe when they grew older, he could have gone on a date with her, as normal boys do.

Then he wondered what it was about this Hyuuga that could resurrect the dead and bring back thoughts of family and friends. This porcelain doll should never be allowed to be in the company of wolves; it was too dangerous for the wolf.

* * *

"A-are you ok?"

He looked up and blinked several times. He raised an eyebrow slightly at the face hovering above him. The porcelain princess. Huh.

"No, you shouldn't move!" she uttered quickly. It wasn't until then that he realized he had moved his hands attempt to bring her closer. Strange.

The ground was wet beneath him. In fact, there was rain pouring down from the sky, her angelic face and dark, silky hair his only shield from the cold menace.

She seemed uncomfortable under his intense gaze and shifted her eyes away. "Y-you were bleeding. I don't know h-h-how you w-wound up h-here." She peered back at him. "C-can you speak?"

He had been right. She was nervous. Shy, timid, unsure. Weak. A princess to be protected. Always protecting. You must always protect those who are precious.

"Oh, d-dear. I w-wish Sakura-chan w-was here. I'm not a very good m-medic." She gave him a sudden smile. "But y-you're awake, yes? W-we'll get you help soon. Kiba-kun or Shino-kun should be looking f-for me now."

Why did he always have to be right? Her smile was like a ray of sunshine, and she was no longer the porcelain princess. She wasn't a delicate flower in a winter breeze, she wasn't a glass figurine. She wasn't even the protected heir to her clan. She was a stone. She was and would always be a stone. The stone is overlooked, the stone is kicked and tossed about. But it never breaks, it never crumbles. It stays, it waits, and it survives.

He smiled as memories flooded back to him, from the childhood, from years ago, from the last few days. Survival. Simple, and yet so carefree. As long as you breathed, you still won.

He leaned up and kissed her lips. Her eyes widened and her face changed to a violent shade of scarlet.

He stood carefully, watching her stunned silence. "Thank you," he said rather roughly, his voice still hoarse from misuse. Gratitude for the first aid that undoubtedly saved his life. Gratitude for the reminder of what he still had to do, what he still could do. Gratitude for keeping that young man he used to be alive in some part of someone's heart.

He moved to leave, and she finally remembered how to move. "A…You s-sh-should stay. S-someone – "

He glanced at her over his shoulder and smiled, his eyes closed as the sweet memory of sunny afternoons and Mom's cooking, and Sasuke's awed chatter flowed over him for the first time in a long time. "Stay alive," he requested. "I might come back for you one day."

He shot through the trees, out of sight, in a split second.

She stood still, eyes wide and mouth open as she stared at where he had stood, gripping her hands on her drenched jacket.

"Hinata-chan!"

She didn't turn when she heard Kiba's loud call.

"I thought we lost you! The rain was messing with your scent." He wrapped something warm – a jacket? – around her shivering shoulders. "Did you find anything? Any sign of Sasuke?"

She shook her head and turned to look at her teammate. "H-he's coming back for me, he said." She raised her hands to her red cheeks.

Kiba quirked his head much like Akamaru. "Let's go, Hinata-chan."

"I wonder who he was…."


End file.
